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Almost a year ago, I began following EWMcCall on Instagram. I immediately fell in love with one of their scarves. I searched their Etsy, but I could not find it anywhere. I asked one of the owners, Morgan, if she had any more. She told me she they were sold out. “Sold Out” are heartbreaking words. Weeks later, Morgan found an extra scarf and messaged me to see if I still wanted it. I was so impressed with her thoughtfulness and incredible customer service. Today, I am so excited to show you their fall line, and let me tell you thoughtfulness is definitely a part of it. Morgan and Lois, the two owners, have put so many thoughtful details into this collection.

St. Louis has dozens of free attractions for families. The Art Hill Film Series is one of my favorite summer traditions. As soon as this year’s line up was posted, I knew which movie my husband would want to see, Back to the Future! Throwing off every bit of better judgement, Michael and I decided to take both of the boys to the film. The movie starts way past their bed time so we knew we were potentially asking for problems. However, some times you just need to feel like an adult and get out of the house, so we went.

Asher had a lot of fun running all over the hill. (See sweaty picture below.) Michael and I enjoyed trying out the food trucks. We all enjoyed the movie. The boys made it through half the movie before it was time to go. It was such a great experience, I can’t wait to go again. Here is the list of the rest of the movies showing this summer. SLAM

badger + rue is a new kid’s clothing company. It launched its first collection just over two weeks ago. I have had my eye on several of their products. I love the incredible thought and detail that has clearly gone into each piece. After interviewing the owners, Kenzie and Danielle, I fell even more in love with their product. They told me that each one of the characters in their line is inspired by a piece of their children’s personality. How cool! It is clear that these two owners have poured their heart and soul into this company. Learn a little more about them in the interview below.

1. Tell me a little about each of the people in your company.

Danielle: I have a family of four; two beautiful daughters, Beckham(3) and Nola(1), my sweet husband Trent and I. They are my reason for pursuing scary dreams, and, in turn, long hours and late bedtimes! I am a sucker for cheap rootbeer, a thoughtful vocabulary, birthdays, soft rock and late-night conversation.

Kenzie: I married my junior high sweetheart and couldn’t be more in love 15 years later. We have our daughter, Berkley, who is 3 and our son, Boston, who just turned 1. We have another little boy coming in November, HUGE surprise, but are super excited to meet him nonetheless. I love sleeping in, family cuddle sessions, the ocean, nice people and all things chocolate.

2. What is one thing you would like your company to be known for?

We believe clothes are no longer just something you wear, they are an expression of a child’s personality + nature and we want to aid in bringing that out. We’ll do this by giving life to our art, creating connections with these characters, and, in turn, showcasing the most detailed traits of the child’s personality.

We want children to always feel like they can express themselves in whatever way they see fit. To dare to be different, to go against the grain. That they have the tools to do + be whatever they want. Their future is unlimited, paving their own road by being proud of who they are, and using this individuality, acceptance and kindness as currency in life.

3. What is your favorite piece from your current collection? Why?

Anything Tough Tom! He is our most detailed piece and is so different than anything out there.

Our kids!! Each character was inspired by some piece of their personality, something they said or enjoy. We will continue to create this way, as they will always be our muse!

5. Can you give us any hints about your fall line?

Since we launched late for the S/S line, we included items appropriate for the A/W season. Many items work great now in the heat, but can also be used in layering as it starts to cool down. We believe the raglan pullovers and cozy rompers will be a big hit come Fall. We do, however, plan to run a little differently than most brands. Instead of waiting for a whole new line and phasing the last one out, we plan to listen to our customers and keep things exciting. We will come out with new apparel sporadically throughout the year, while keeping those items in demand available in garments fitting for the weather and style. We can tell you this, we have much more up our sleeves. This is only the tip of the iceberg, we are excited to grow!

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to get out of town or a little bit, and I jumped on it. The military kid in me needed a change. Since I wasn’t ready to be a part from Ryland, he had to come with me. Here are some of the things that I found most helpful on this trip.

A Sling: I flew alone to Washington DC. DC has such great mass transportation, I decided to leave the car seat at home. Wearing Ryland was so convenient and fun. I used a Wild Bird sling. He was kissably close to me the whole trip so I got to see his reactions to everything on our trip. Plus, the sling was easy for me to get on and off at security. I also used the tail of the sling to cover him, so no one could spread their germs.

A Swaddle Blanket: I used my swaddle blanket from Modern Burlap for absolutely everything on this trip. I used it as a nursing cover, a spit up cloth, and a play mat. I love the design of these blankets. They are both beautiful and functional, which can be a rarity in the baby world. I packed one for each day of the trip because they were so useful.

A Pacifier Clip: This proved to be so handy on the trip. I simply clipped it to the outside of the swaddle, and I never had to worry about losing it in the airport. I used one of the beautiful hand braided clips by Loved by Sophia Claire.

Rompers: Here is one thing I have learned about traveling with children: always dress them as cute as possible. People are so much more willing to forgive the well dressed baby. I dressed Ryland in rompers from June and January.Their rompers are classic, and they come in gorgeous colors. I had two of them in my carry on. Rompers also make travel easier, no searching for two pieces.

Moccs: Baby moccasins are the perfect traveling shoes, because they don’t kick off. The elastic in them kept them snug on Ryland’s foot. Ryland wore Freshly Picked on our trip.

If I could do it all over again, there are two thing I would bring. I would by this diaper bag from Fawn Design. I love that it can be a back pack or shoulder bag. This would have come in handy so many times. Plus, it is beautiful!

I would also have brought a hat for Ryland for the flight. Airplanes get so cold, and it would have been nice to keep my guy extra cozy. I love the hats from My Mila. Their toques would be adorable on Ry.

This past winter was miserable. We were snowed in for one week, so one of my most important items on the summer bucket list was the beach. Asher was also very excited about the beach. He made up a chant for the drive down. However, as soon as we got to the beach, he started crying. He hated it. He told us he wanted to leave right away. We were shocked. We traveled for two days to get there. He made up a chant for heaven’s sake. After a day, we realized the problem. He hates being hot. Hates it. Read: zero tolerance for it. We learned that if we want him to have fun at the beach, he can not wear his cute swim trunks, rash guard, or baseball hat. He pretty much has to be as close to naked as possible. Needless to say, this will not be a post about his adorable Mini Rodini swimsuit. But don’t worry, I provided you with a link to the fabulous swim diapers at the end of the blog. Here are some pictures of our trips to the beach.

These shorts scream 4th of July. As soon as I saw them, I could not wait to come up with an outfit for Asher. When I found the super soft tank from Riley Clay Designs, I knew it was a match made in styling heaven. Check it out.

I love everything Americana. I love the crisp red, white, and blue colors together. So when Tippi asked me to style their Stars & Stripes Blumes, I was ecstatic. These shorts are very light weight and comfy. The are also very well sewn. Since I am using them on my son, I decided to size up. Asher is wearing a size 5 in all of these photos. Here is the first way I styled it.

Also, did I mention how cute the blumes make his little bottom! Diaper bottom!